Prior to last weekend, you might have said that Texas Tech can't win with defense, that Rutgers can't win with Mike Teel and that Florida can't rely on a running back to win a game.

CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

ACC

WR Hakeem Nicks helped North Carolina forget about the season-ending injury to Brandon Tate by catching eight passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns. He added a 12-yard rushing score in a 45-24 win over Boston College.

BIG 12

QB Graham Harrell kept Texas Tech undefeated going into this week's game against Texas. Harrell was 34-for-42 for 386 yards and five touchdowns in a 63-21 rout of Kansas. He also rushed for a score.

BIG TEN

Penn State LB Navorro Bowman recovered the fumble that set up the decisive score in a 13-6 win over Ohio State. He added 10 tackles and a tackle for a loss in the Nittany Lions' ninth consecutive victory.

Kent State RB Eugene Jarvis was unstoppable at the goal line with four touchdowns, none longer 2 two yards, in a 54-21 win over Miami University. Jarvis carried 23 times for 105 yards, a bright spot in a season marred by injury. He had been the nation's leading returning rusher.

MOUNTAIN WEST

BYU went down to the wire to beat UNLV 42-35. QB Max Hall was 24 of 31 for 245 yards and four touchdowns in the win.

Florida Atlantic QB Rusty Smith was 28 of 39 for 267 yards and two touchdowns in a 29-28 win over Louisiana-Monroe. His 22-yard touchdown pass to Cortez Gent with 22 seconds left was the game-winner.

WESTERN ATHLETIC

Idaho picked up a rare win by shutting down the prolific New Mexico State offense. DE Josh Shaw led the way in the 20-14 win with 10 tackles, two sacks, three tackles for loss and a forced fumble.

INDEPENDENTS

Third-string QB Ricky Dobbs didn't need to throw a pass for Navy to beat SMU 34-7. He carried 42 times for 224 yards and four touchdowns in a game in which the Midshipmen did not attempt a pass.

You might think differently now.

The Red Raiders' defense held Kansas in check for its lowest point total of the season, setting up another monster game in the Big 12 when Texas visits Lubbock. The maligned Teel answered his critics with a six-touchdown performance (five in the first half) to lift the Scarlet Knights to an upset of Pittsburgh. And for Florida, freshman running back Jeff Demps pitched in on special teams, in the running game and in the passing game in a rout of Kentucky.

Demps, Florida's big-play freshman, contributed in numerous ways in a 63-5 rout of Kentucky. UK had allowed just 63 points in its first six games.

Demps, a true freshman running back who ran the fastest 100 meters ever by a high schooler in the spring, carried the ball seven times for 60 yards and caught a 61-yard touchdown pass. He was a game-changer on special teams, too, blocking a punt to keep Florida in the national title race heading into the Georgia game.

• West Virginia looked like the Mountaineers of old for the first time under new offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen. WVU amassed 445 yards and scored 31 unanswered points in a 34-17 victory over Auburn last Thursday.